Items Similar to Still Life
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9
John White AlexanderStill Life1883
1883
$65,000
£48,862.83
€56,647.52
CA$90,750.11
A$101,644.93
CHF 52,889.23
MX$1,234,470.53
NOK 670,501.12
SEK 632,667.75
DKK 422,671.12
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
John White Alexander's graceful depictions of beautiful women earned him critical acclaim both in Europe and America. However, his career did not get off to an easy start—Alexander became an orphan at the age of five and was raised instead by his grandfather in Allegheny City, Pittsburgh. Due to a combination of fortunate connections and prodigious talent, he traveled to New York City and landed a position as an office boy with Harper’s in May, 1875. Although relatively untrained, he progressed quickly and was soon working as an illustrator. However, Alexander was eager to travel, and in the fall of 1877, he set off for Europe with several companions. They stopped briefly in Paris before continuing on to Munich, where Alexander enrolled for a time at the Royal Academy.
By 1878, Alexander had grown disillusioned with the Academy and on a visit to nearby Polling, he discovered the thriving colony of painters all studying under the American artist, Frank Duveneck. Alexander stayed on and flourished in this stimulating environment, where he became close friends with Duveneck and “head of all the boys.” When Duveneck relocated his school to Florence, Italy, Alexander followed him there and continued to hone his skills in the company of such highly esteemed artists as James A. M. Whistler. Despite this remarkable milieu, Alexander was homesick for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he finally left for America in August, 1880.
This exquisite still life of roses demonstrates Alexander’s natural talent and his incredible facility with the medium of oil paint. Painted in 1883, not long after his return home, it also demonstrates how thoroughly he had adopted the signature Munich style, which he learned under the tutelage of Duveneck. The color palette is dark and rich, and the roses are deftly rendered with the broad bravura brushwork that is so typical of this style of painting. As the inscription “Xmas – 83” suggests, this still life was given as a Christmas gift to Agnes Clarke (pictured in photograph in the listing) who was the sister to Thomas Shields Clarke, a close friend of Alexander’s. The Clarke’s were a socially prominent family, also from Allegheny City, Pittsburgh, although Alexander’s friendship with Thomas Clarke developed in the early 1880s when Alexander became an instructor at the School of Science at Princeton and Clarke was enrolled as a pupil. According to family lore, Alexander was in love with Agnes Clarke at the time, however, if this was the case, the romance never progressed very far. By 1884, Alexander had begun to court Elizabeth Swan Williamson Alexander, whom he later married in 1887. Agnes married one year later, however, she kept the painting, which remained in the family until 2019.
- Creator:John White Alexander (1856-1915, American)
- Creation Year:1883
- Dimensions:Height: 10.13 in (25.74 cm)Width: 14.25 in (36.2 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Excellent condition. The canvas is lined. Under UV light, it appears that the painting is largely untouched, with scattered areas of inpaint only along the extreme edges of the canvas to address frame abrasion.
- Gallery Location:Bryn Mawr, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2773215730092
About the Seller
No Reviews Yet
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 2001
1stDibs seller since 2024
Typical response time: 3 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllStill Life with Flowers
By Irving Ramsey Wiles
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Irving Ramsey Wiles (1861-1948)
Still Life with Flowers, c. 1915
Oil on canvas
14 x 12 inches (35.6 x 30.5 cm)
Signed upper right: Irving R. Wiles
Provenance
Thomas Colville Fine Ar...
Category
1910s American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Still Life of Red Geraniums
By Henry Bayley Snell
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Signed lower right: Henry B. Snell
Provenance
Private collection
Born in Richmond, England, on September 29, 1858, Henry Bayley Snell was the son of Edward and Elizabeth Snell. At ...
Category
20th Century American Impressionist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Pastel, Watercolor
Floral Still Life
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Alfred Maurer was born in 1868 in New York City, the son of Louis Maurer, a commercial artist for Currier and Ives. He worked in the family lithographic business as a young man and a...
Category
20th Century American Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Still Life with Flowers
By Arthur Beecher Carles
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Provenance
Mr. and Mrs. Miles Valentine;
Estate of above;
Sale, Christie’s, New York, New York, June 13, 2001, lot 206, from above;
John Davis collection, Falls Church, Virginia;
Sal...
Category
Early 20th Century American Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Roses and Chrysanthemums in a Vase
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
An expatriate painter, noted for figurative paintings of peasants as well as classical works, Biblical scenes, mythological subjects, and still lifes, William Babcock was born in Bos...
Category
1870s Victorian Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Silhouette of a Young Girl
By John White Alexander
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Provenance
Grand Central Art Galleries, New York;
Samuel B. and Marion W. Lawrence Collection;
Christie's, Important American Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture, November 29, 2007, l...
Category
Late 19th Century Aesthetic Movement Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Charcoal
You May Also Like
Flower Still Life, Impressionist Oil Painting by Gustave Weigand
By Gustave Weigand
Located in Long Island City, NY
An oil on board painting by Gustave Weigand (1870 - 1957), signed lower right. Painting measures 16 x 12 inches. Wiegand was born in Bremen, Germany in 1870. Wiegand studied at the R...
Category
1940s American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Still Life Of Flower In A Glass Vase, 19th Century by KONSTANTIN STOITZNER
By Konstantin Stoitzner
Located in Blackwater, GB
Still Life Of Flower In A Glass Vase, 19th Century
by KONSTANTIN STOITZNER (1863-1934)
Large 19th Century Austrian Impressionist Still Life of various summer flowers in a glass vas...
Category
19th Century Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
$5,203 Sale Price
20% Off
Grand Still Life
By Fernand Toussaint
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Documentation Signed
Origin Belgium
Period 1920-1949
Materials oil on canvas
Dimensions
W. 25.5 in; H. 31 in;
W. 64.77 cm; H. 78.74 cm;
Condition Good. Excellent condion
Creation Date C. 1930
Description An exquisite still life with masterful use of color.
Carved frame measures 38.5 x 33 inches.
Fernand Toussaint...
Category
1920s Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Price Upon Request
Antique French Still Life of Flowers in Vase Signed Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Classical Still Life of Flowers in a Vase
Attributed to Edouard Charton (French, born 1855)
signed oil on canvas, unframed
canvas: 22 x 18 inches
provenance: private collection, Fran...
Category
Early 20th Century French School Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
$1,162 Sale Price
30% Off
Antique American Oil Painting Still Life Flora Rare 19th Century New York Jersey
By Sallie Van Horn
Located in Buffalo, NY
A stunning antique American still life painting from the recently acquired estate of New York/New Jersey artist Sallie Van Horn.
Van Horn taught paint...
Category
Late 19th Century American Impressionist Interior Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Fruit and Porcelain
Located in Sheffield, MA
William Merrit Chase
American, 1849-1916
Fruit and Porcelain
Signed "Wm M Chase." l.l., identified on labels from the Corcoran Gallery of Art,
B...
Category
Early 1900s American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
